Electric toy



A. L. MACKLIN April 1, 1930.

ELECTRIC TOY 2 Sheets-Sheh 1 Filed April 22, 1927 A. L. MACKLIN April 1,1930.

ELECTRIC TOY,

2 Sheet-Sheei 2 Filed April 22, 1927 Patented Apr. 1, 1930 FFICE ATETARE L. MACKLIN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN ELECTRIC TOY Application filedApril 22, 1927.

This invention relates to an improvement in electric toys.

The object of the invention is to provide for the actuation of toyfigures by means of electric current. The vibrating means for the figureor object to be moved is not only electrical but preferably operated byan electromagnet with. means actuated by each movement of the armaturefor automatically breaking the electric circuit through theelectromagnet, to allow a return of the parts to their initialpositions.

A further object of the invention is to arrange the primary actuatingmechanism in a casing which is provided with an open top and to assemblethe objects to be operated upon a cover which fits over the casing, sothat various objects may be assembled on as many covers and one oranother placed on the casing, and it will be immediately in position tobe controlled by the operating mechanism and bring the latter intooperative connection with the objects to be actuated.

lVith these objects in View, the invention lies in the novel arrangementof an electromagnet mounted in a casing and electrically connected witha switch which is formed by means of two resilient contact fingersmounta lever or lever-frame is returned to its initial position upon oneof the contact fingers, but upon the closing of the circuit, theelectromagnet acts on an armature carried by the removable cover formoving the lever-frame out of contact with the contact fingers to breakthe circuit.

This provides an intermittent actuation of the armature, which isoperatively connected with the figure or objects to be actuated andsince not only the armature but the figures as well are carried by thecover, the latter may be removed and another cover with difierentobjects mounted thereon substituted for it, which provides a convenientarrangement for the operation of many different objects from the sameoperating mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings Serial No. 185,861.

Fig. 1 is a perspectiveview of the complete electric toy;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view therethrough; V

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the casing and operating mechanism mountedtherein with the cover removed;

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the complete toy;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the lever-. frame removed; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the armature removed.

The numeral 1 indicates the casing in which is mounted an electro-magnet2, electrically connected at one. side by means of a wire 3 with thecasing 1 and at the opposite side by means of a wire 4; to the topspring contactfinger 5 which is placed above and is similar to a bottomspring contact finger 6, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

These contact fingers 5 and 6 are insulated from each other but aresecurely mounted upon a frame 7 by means of a bolt 8, and the fingersextend laterally from their support substantially to the opposite sideof the casing, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The bottom contact finger 6has a conducting plate 9 extending laterally therefrom to an. insulatingblock 10, this plate 9 being curved as shown 9 in Fig. 2. The insulatingblock 10 is securely mounted in the casing 1 bymeans of suitable strapsor supports 11, which engage it and hold it in its proper position. Asliding contact pin 12 is provided with a head 13 on the inner endthereof in position to engage the contact plate 9, this pin 12 beingslidably mounted in the insulating block. 10 and having a binding post13 at the outer. end thereof for connection therewith of an electricwire 1a. A corresponding electric wire 15 is connected with anotherbinding post- 16 fixed to the casing itself and through the casing, andthe wire 8 being electrically connected with the opposite side of theelectro-magnet.

A lever-frame 17 is pivoted on the shaft 18 of the casing and has across-plate 19 connecting the ends of the side members 20 together asshown especially in Fig. 5. At the opposite ends, the members 20 areconnectedto-- tween the lugs as at 27.

gether by means of a similar plate 21 and at their forward ends the sidemembers 20 are also provided with weights 22 in order to make the frontend of the lever-frame heavier than the rear end. As shown in Fig. 4,one of the side members 20 also carries a depending lug 23 of insulatingmaterial in position to engage the upper spring contact finger 5 andmove it into engagement with the lower contact finger 6, in order toclose the electric circuit from the wire 1 to the wire 4t and theelectro-magnet. The cover for the open top casing 1 is designated by thenumeral 24, and this cover is provided with downward turned lugs 25, asshown in Fig. 2, between which is mounted an armature 26 being pivotedbet its back end, the armature 26 is provided with a depending lug 28 inposition to engage the plate 19 at the rear end of the lever-frame 17for moving this frame downward whenever the armature i actuated by theelectro-magnet 2, in order to break the circuit between the springcontact fingers 5 and 6.

A frame 29 is mounted upon the cover 24': and this frame has a bearing30 mounted therein, which receives one end of the shaft 31 rotatablymounted in the frame 29, and carrying a toothed wheel 32 upon the upperend thereof. A hammer 33 is pivoted as at in the frame in position tostrike the upper surface of the toothed wheel 32. The hammer isconnected by means of a connecting rod 35 with one end of the armature26.

A figure 36 is also mounted upon the cover 24 and has the arms 3'7 anc33 thereof mounted upon a crank sha'f 39, which is connected with andoperated by the armature 26 through the medium of a connecting rod -10.A pawl 41 is pivotally connected with and actuated by the arm 37, ant.this pawl is normally positioned for engaging the teeth of the toothedwheel 32 in 0rd r to rotate this wheel as the hammer 32 strikes theupper surface thereof.

The armature 26 is positioned immediately over the electro-magnet 2, soas to be actuated by said magnet as it is energized by the electriccurrent supplied by the wires 1a and 15 from any suitablesource.

The sliding pin 12 acts as a switch and when it is retracted out ofengagement of the head 13 thereof with the contact plate 9, the circuitthrough the electro-magnet is broken; but when the pin is pushed intothe position shown in Fig. 2, an electrical connection is establishedfrom the wire 14 through the spring contact members 5 and 6, and thewire 1, through the electro-magnet 2, causing energizing of the magnet,which attracts the armature 26 and moves the arms of the figure 36 torotate the wheel 32 and to cause the hammer 33 to strike the uppersurface of said wheel 32.

The attraction of the armature 26 also moves the lug 28 into engagementwith the plate 19 of the lever-frame 17, which likewise moves the rearend of this frame downward and the forward end upward with the lug 23out of engagement with the upper springcontact linger 5, releasing thisfinger and allowing it to move upward out of en gagementwith the otherspring contact finger 6, which breaks the circuit through theelectro-magnet and likewise releases the armature 26, which is returnedto its normal position by means of a weight 4-2,.carried on the forwardend thereof, and this likewise releases the lever-frame 17 which causesthe weights 22 to move the forward end thereof downward into its normalposition,'which likewise causes the lug 23 to again engage the springcontact finger 5 to close the circuit through the fingers 5 and 6, andthe electro-magnet to again actuate the armature and the fingersconnected therewith.

In this way, there is a continuous making and breaking of the circuitthrough the armature with a corresponding continuous actuation of thearmature, which operates the figures connected with it, and by reason ofthe novel arrangement of the armature upon the cover, which is removablefrom the case, various covers with different figures mounted thereon maybe placed on the casing and no other connection is necessary in order toactuate the dili'erent figures carried by the different covers from theoperating mechanism mounted in the casing 1. In this way, not only anovel form of electric toy is provided but one which is very simple instructure and which may therefore be manufactured at a very smallexpense contrary to the usual complicated electric toys which arenecessarily very expensive.

A speed control lever 43 is mounted on the casing 1 by means of a springholder 14 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The lever 43 may have an arm 4-5 atthe lower end thereof which may be turned outwardly beneath the plate 19as shown in Fig. 2 to decrease the extent of movement of the frame 17and thereby increasing the speed of the toy. The arm 45 is adapted to beturned outwardly above the platelS) in order to hold the lug 23 out ofcontact with the plates 5 and 6 during shipping of the toy to preventinjury thereto.

1 claim 1. 'An electric toy including a casing having I anelectro-inagnet mounted therein, spring contact members for making andbreaking a circuit through the electro-mag net, a lever frame mounted inthe casing for actuating said spring contact fingers to make and breakthe circuit, an armature in position to be actuated by theelectro-magnet for actuating the lever frame, a movable object mountedupon the casing and operatively connected with said armature, aninsulating block carried by the casing, a plate extending from saidinsulating block to the contact fingers, and a slidable switch pinmounted in the insulating block and having the head thereof in positionto engage said plate, and a speed control lever associated with thelever frame.

2. A toy including a frame, a shaft mounted therein, a toothed wheelfixed on the shaft, a hammer pivoted to the frame in position to engagethe surface of the toothed wheel for applying a series of blows thereto,a figure having arms connected therewith, a pawl connected with one ofsaid arms in position to engage the teeth of the toothed wheel forrotating said wheel, and operating means associated with and foractuating the arms.

3. An electric toy including a casing, electro-magnetic actuating meansmounted in said casing, a cover removably mounted on the casing, amovable figure carried by the cover, an armature carried by the cover inposition to be actuated by the electro-ma-gnetic actuating means, andmeans positively connecting said armature with the movable figure.

4. An electric toy including a casing, an electro-magnet mountedtherein, a cover removably mounted on the casing, a movable figurecarried by the cover, an armature pivotally carried by the cover, meanspositively connecting said armature with the figure, said armature beingso disposed on the, cover to be in operative relation with theelectromagnet when the cover is in position on the casing.

5. A toy including a frame, a shaft mounted therein,a toothed Wheelfixed on the shaft, a figure having arms connected therewith, at leastone of said arms being so disposed as to engage and rotate the toothedwheel, and actuating means for the arms of the figure.

6. A toy including a frame, a shaft mounted therein, a Wheel fixed onthe shaft, rotating means for the wheel, a hammer pivoted to the framein position to apply a series of blows to the Wheel, and meanspositively connected with said hammer independently of said shaft foractuating said hammer.

7. An electric toy including a casing, electro-magnetic actuating meansmounted therein, a cover removably mounted on the casing, a figurecarried by the cover and having at least a part thereof movably mounted,an armature pivoted to the cover for movement relative thereto, saidarmature being disposed in operative relation to the electromagneticactuating means when the cover is on the casing, and means independentof the cover for transmitting the movement of the armature to themovable part of the figure.

8. An electric toy including a casing, electro-magnetic actuating meansmounted therein, an immovable cover fixed on said casing, a movablefigure carried by the cover, an armature pivotally mounted in the casingfor movement independent of the cover, and

being disposed in operative relation to the electro-magnetic actuatingmeans, and means positively connecting the armature with the movablefigure independently of the cover.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ARE L.'M.A.CKLIN.

